Roy Jones Junior (2000) vs recent Andre Ward ?

[ValMar]

What do you think about this fantasy match (LHW) ?

[SenorPipino]

Jones was maybe a level above Ward at 175.

He was pretty much still in his prime when he entered the light heavy division, while Ward is a little past his peak.

It would be a fascinating chess game between two quick, smart boxers who excel at defense, although Ward probably having the edge in that category.

A little more power from Jones and a bit more overall fire in his belly would probably lead him to a challenging but conclusive win.

It's hard to imagine this one ending in a KO.

[Kalan]

Ward beats any other Super Middleweight: Calzaghe... Jones... Toney... Froch...whoever at 168. He's too strong and too good a boxer for Roy.. AW fought tougher opponents.. Anybody wanting to cite Hopkins and Toney -- Hopkins was green for his loss to Roy and Toney entered training camp above 250 and never got ready. Everyone else Roy fought before Tarver was past it or soft. Tarver and Glen were both older than Roy and put him out.

At 175 they both get beaten by Spinks, Kovalev, Foster, Charles, and Tunney... and beat Moore, Conn, Loughran, Gibbons, and Harold Johnson. I still believe Kovalev beats Ward in a fairly officiated fight, which the 2 they fought weren't... And I don't think Horn beat Pacquiao either.

[Ossyrules]

Wards a top boxer, but Roy Jones was a special fighter with abilities ward couldn't match. At his very best Roy's athletic abilities are too much for ward, who despite having some advantages in the area of the old school of boxing, it's not enough to bridge the gap to beat Roy.

Ward also doesn't beat any 168er in history.

[diddy]

Roy Jones 1993-2000 was a top 5 boxer of all time. Yes he beats Ward.

[diddy]

Ward beats any other Super Middleweight: Calzaghe... Jones... Toney... Froch...whoever at 168. He's too strong and too good a boxer for Roy.. AW fought tougher opponents.. Anybody wanting to cite Hopkins and Toney -- Hopkins was green for his loss to Roy and Toney entered training camp above 250 and never got ready. Everyone else Roy fought before Tarver was past it or soft. Tarver and Glen were both older than Roy and put him out.

At 175 they both get beaten by Spinks, Kovalev, Foster, Charles, and Tunney... and beat Moore, Conn, Loughran, Gibbons, and Harold Johnson. I still believe Kovalev beats Ward in a fairly officiated fight, which the 2 they fought weren't... And I don't think Horn beat Pacquiao either.

The pre 2000 Jones that had otherworldly reflexes and schooled Toney and Hopkins is the Roy he's talking about. Not the shot version that lost to Tarver. Obviously Ward beats THAT Roy.

[ValMar]

RJJ has been in his prime in 2000. AW is in his prime right now.

[Kalan]

Ward beats any other Super Middleweight: Calzaghe... Jones... Toney... Froch...whoever at 168. He's too strong and too good a boxer for Roy.. AW fought tougher opponents.. Anybody wanting to cite Hopkins and Toney -- Hopkins was green for his loss to Roy and Toney entered training camp above 250 and never got ready. Everyone else Roy fought before Tarver was past it or soft. Tarver and Glen were both older than Roy and put him out.

At 175 they both get beaten by Spinks, Kovalev, Foster, Charles, and Tunney... and beat Moore, Conn, Loughran, Gibbons, and Harold Johnson. I still believe Kovalev beats Ward in a fairly officiated fight, which the 2 they fought weren't... And I don't think Horn beat Pacquiao either.

The pre 2000 Jones that had otherworldly reflexes and schooled Toney and Hopkins is the Roy he's talking about. Not the shot version that lost to Tarver. Obviously Ward beats THAT Roy.

Saying Jones had otherworldly reflexes is a biased and mythical statement...like saying Ali was so fast he was a blur and other fanboy pap... Calzaghe was obviously a lot faster than Roy and he was aging too... Tarver and Glen were both older than Roy when they smashed him out... Where were the reflexes against these older dudes??? Where were the reflexes when Lou Del Valle decked Roy with a straight left??? Roy got hit. Was Mayweather ever knocked on his ass??? NO.

[man]

Jones was maybe a level above Ward at 175.

He was pretty much still in his prime when he entered the light heavy division, while Ward is a little past his peak.

It would be a fascinating chess game between two quick, smart boxers who excel at defense, although Ward probably having the edge in that category.

A little more power from Jones and a bit more overall fire in his belly would probably lead him to a challenging but conclusive win.

It's hard to imagine this one ending in a KO.

[man]

Calzaghe was obviously a lot faster than Roy and he was aging too...

roy was shot, joe was not.
meaningless fight.

[ValMar]

Calzaghe was obviously a lot faster than Roy and he was aging too...

roy was shot, joe was not.
meaningless fight.

No......
Do you consider Joshua-Klitschko meaningless ?
If you claim that RJJ has been a shot boxer against Calzaghe, you should tell the same for Klitschko (against Joshua).

[man]

Calzaghe was obviously a lot faster than Roy and he was aging too...

roy was shot, joe was not.
meaningless fight.

No......
Do you consider Joshua-Klitschko meaningless ?
If you claim that RJJ has been a shot boxer against Calzaghe, you should tell the same for Klitschko (against Joshua).

roy was obviously not in this fight
nor in any later even close to his
former self, while wlad delivered
one of the best performances of
his career. does that mean wk was
close prime? no. it doesn't.

[ValMar]

roy was shot, joe was not.
meaningless fight.

No......
Do you consider Joshua-Klitschko meaningless ?
If you claim that RJJ has been a shot boxer against Calzaghe, you should tell the same for Klitschko (against Joshua).

roy was obviously not in this fight
nor in any later even close to his
former self, while wlad delivered
one of the best performances of
his career. does that mean wk was
close prime? no. it doesn't.

It is a little bit off topic, but......
I agree that RJJ was not ih his prime against Calzaghe, but I will never agree that Calzaghe-Jones was meaningless fight, and I can not imagine any boxing fan claiming the opposite.

[Cyclops]

No......
Do you consider Joshua-Klitschko meaningless ?
If you claim that RJJ has been a shot boxer against Calzaghe, you should tell the same for Klitschko (against Joshua).

roy was obviously not in this fight
nor in any later even close to his
former self, while wlad delivered
one of the best performances of
his career. does that mean wk was
close prime? no. it doesn't.

It is a little bit off topic, but......
I agree that RJJ was not ih his prime against Calzaghe, but I will never agree that Calzaghe-Jones was meaningless fight, and I can not imagine any boxing fan claiming the opposite.

I think it was universally agreed that Jones was well past his best. I was a massive Calzaghe fanboy casual just really getting into boxing and even I knew Jones was a shadow of the fighter he once was going into that fight. I'm not sure many of us expected Joe to clown him as bad as he did (KD aside) but not many people thought Jones was in with much of a chance.

[JeanClaude Van Damme]

Ward is a cheater who has been floored by multiple jabronies. The only impressive thing about him is how he can politic his way to victory. Roy by TKO in 8 rounds, if Ward doesn't try to duck him via ridiculous demands.

[man]

It is a little bit off topic, but......
I agree that RJJ was not ih his prime against Calzaghe, but I will never agree that Calzaghe-Jones was meaningless fight, and I can not imagine any boxing fan claiming the opposite.

roy jones was unique, but his uniqueness
based on reflexes and i think these went
out with the weight jojo and after that he
was a more or less ordinary fighter with
sloppy technique.

i am not a fan boy, i think RJJ avoided
several opponents in his prime. but the
loss to joe really doesn't mean much in
terms of roy's legacy and i had thought
most experts agree on that.

[SaadOffTheDeck]

Calzaghe was obviously a lot faster than Roy and he was aging too...

roy was shot, joe was not.
meaningless fight.

No......
Do you consider Joshua-Klitschko meaningless ?
If you claim that RJJ has been a shot boxer against Calzaghe, you should tell the same for Klitschko (against Joshua).

Roy was shot, Wlad was not.


Ward would cause Roy a lot of trouble. I think you slightly have to favor Roy for his quick power bursts, but Ward would have great success inside. It probably comes down to the ref. Ward's biggest deficiency defensively is the jab and Roy rarely used one.

[Counter-puncher]

roy was shot, joe was not.
meaningless fight.

No......
Do you consider Joshua-Klitschko meaningless ?
If you claim that RJJ has been a shot boxer against Calzaghe, you should tell the same for Klitschko (against Joshua).

Roy was shot, Wlad was not.


Ward would cause Roy a lot of trouble. I think you slightly have to favor Roy for his quick power bursts, but Ward would have great success inside. It probably comes down to the ref. Ward's biggest deficiency defensively is the jab and Roy rarely used one.

I wouldn't underestimate Wards ability to bully and use physicality to throw Jones off his game either, ah edit you mentioned the ref

[Impractical Poster]

I think Roy out athletisizes Ward to a UD.

However, I think Roy may have even been starting to slip by that time. A 1995 Roy would have an easier time with Ward than a 2000 Roy.